A ludicidade como mediadora da aprendizagem na perspectiva histórico-cultural de Vygotsky: uma proposta para a UEF Professora Maria Nogueira

Abstract

This study analyzes how playfulness acts as a mediator of learning among secondgrade elementary school students from the perspective of Vygotsky's CulturalHistorical Theory. It is based on the understanding that play is a culturally mediated activity capable of promoting knowledge construction, the development of higher psychological functions, and the appropriation of culture through social interactions. The objective of the study was to analyze how playful practices contribute to the teaching and learning process in a second-grade class at UEF Professora Maria Nogueira, located in Bacabal, Maranhão, Brazil. The research adopted a qualitative approach, combining bibliographical and field research, and was grounded in the theoretical contributions of Vygotsky, Leontiev, Luria, Rego, and Kishimoto. Data were produced through participant observation, a field diary, a semi-structured interview with the classroom teacher, and questionnaires administered to the students. The analysis showed that playfulness, when intentionally integrated into pedagogical planning, promotes students' active participation, strengthens social interaction, enhances pedagogical mediation, and supports the collective construction of knowledge. The findings also revealed that playful activities contributed to the development of autonomy, language, imagination, attention, memory, and cooperation, corroborating the assumptions of the Cultural-Historical Theory. It is concluded that playfulness should not be understood as a complementary or merely recreational resource, but rather as a guiding principle of pedagogical practice, capable of fostering meaningful learning and promoting the integral development of children in the early years of elementary education.